Vetoryl not working

[Gracie's Momma]

Hi all! My girl, Gracie, was diagnosed about a month and a half ago. She is a 12 year-old Beagle. She has been on trilostane since the diagnosis, and so far has slowed down her eating (instead of gulping down her meals in seconds flat) and has lost almost all of the pot-bellied look. She never did start to have accidents in the house, so I have been lucky.

Gracie has always had a strange coat for a dog. Her hair is super soft, almost like human hair. Before she got sick, she had a glare to her black, like... a Pantene commercial. She never grew any hair on her under-most belly. She always got compliment on how beautiful it was, but it was weird.

So, the hair loss and skin issues she has are pretty glaring. Has anyone had any luck with any specialty baths, essential oils, coconut oil etc that would help the process along? I am 100% committed to her vet visits and meds, so I'm not looking to replace that. I'm just wondering if there are things that can help her symptoms along during the whole process. It's awfully cold where i live for my baby to have thin hair :(

Thanks!!!!

[judymaggie]

Welcome to a fellow beagle Mom! My Abbie will be 12 in May. I will need to leave it to other members to address your questions about skin care as Abbie does not that aspect of Cushing's. I am so happy to read that Gracie is otherwise responding to the trilostane therapy.

My first beagle, Maggie, also had Cushing's and she had demodectic mange which I treated with medicated shampoo/conditioner; however, I don't know if the same products would work in Gracie's situation.

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome to you and Gracie!

Improvements in the hair/skin can take months, say around 4-6 months. I'm not sure what kind of skin/hair issues Gracie has, is it bald spots, or do you feel lumps that feel hard, it the skin looking black?

Could you share more about your girl, such as the dose of Trilostane she is taking? Also, when was her last ACTH stimulation test and could you post those results? Could you also tell us what tests were performed to diagnose her Cushing's, and would you post those results too? How are her symptoms now?

Has the vet mentioned that those monitoring ACTH stimulation tests have to be done 4-6 hours after the dose of Trilostane is given? And that the Trilostane has to be given with food to be properly absorbed?

Looking forward to hearing more about dear Gracie.

Hugs, Lori

[molly muffin]

Omega supplements are usually good for the skin/coat. Coconut oil is good too, but as Lori mentioned, the hair cycles have to run their course and normally once the cortisol is controlled, then often the hair grows back. Be aware though, we've had dark hair dogs come in white or grey and while coated dogs hair suddenly grown in black. So, it can be an adventure.

welcome to the forum.

[Gracie's Momma]

HI. Gracie is currently at the vet. She was diagnosed about 6 months ago, and has only showed a tiny amount of improvement. Her vet is running another blood test to see if she's just not responding or if she needs her dose changed. Has anyone ever had their dog not respond to the meds? What did you do going forward?

I'm pretty nervous...

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome to you and Gracie!

It would be very helpful if you can give us as much information about your girl as possible and provide answers to the questions below:

1. What was going on with Gracie that prompted you to take your dog to the vet and what prompted your vet to test for Cushing's?

2. Does Gracie have symptoms associated with cushing's such as excessive drinking and peeing; voracious appetite; panting; loss or thinning of coat; skin issues; muscle wasting; muscle weakness, especially in the hind quarters; exercise intolerant; difficulty or unable to go up steps or jump on furniture?

3. Can you please get copies of all testing that was done by your vet and post the results here. With respect to the blood chemistry & complete blood count (CBC), we need only see the highs and lows, and please include the normal reference ranges.

4. What medication is Gracie taking and what is the dose? Is her Cushing's medication compounded?

5. What tests were performed to diagnose Gracie's Cushing's and could you post those results?

6. How many monitoring ACTH stimulation tests have been done and could you post those results along with their timelines?

7. How much does Gracie weigh?

8. Did your vet tell you which form of Cushing's Gracie has? Approximately 85% of dogs have pituitary dependent disease and 15% have an adrenal tumor.

9. Does your girl have any other underlying diseases and if so what are they and what meds is he taking for it?

10. There are other conditions that have overlapping symptoms with Cushing's, such as hypothyroidism and diabetes. Did your vet rule these out?

I am so sorry for so many questions but your answers will aid us in helping you understand what is going on with your girl as well as provide you meaningful feedback.

We will help in any way we can so hang in there, ok

Hugs, Lori

[labblab]

Hi again from me, too! You'll see that I've combined your new question with your posting about Gracie from earlier in the year. This way, it will be easier for us to keep her complete history all in one place. ;)

Lori has already asked several very helpful questions. I just want to add that it is not at all uncommon for dogs to require dosing changes while taking trilostane (Vetoryl). That is why it is recommended that monitoring blood tests be performed periodically -- to make sure that the cortisol level is being maintained within a therapeutic range. So depending on the outcome of Gracie's test, she may very well need an increase in her dose in order to see better symptom improvement.

Do let us know what you find out.
Marianne